Learning To See
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Rebecca's got a big decision to make. One that could change her life drastically. But before she can a decision one way or another, Gia wants her to see exactly what she's capable of. After all, this isn't Rebecca's first obstacle and it's likely not her last.
1. In The Dark

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers Megaforce. This story is fan-made._

_Author's Note: This is not where the Megaforce series starts. If you want to read the series without getting lost, I suggest you read my stories in the order they appear:_

_**No To Date Nights - The Party Night - Project Partners - Megaforce: Lives Behind The Masks - **__**Prom Night**__ - __**A Trip To Remember - First Meetings - Something She Loves – Protective Morans – Samurai In Harwood County – Rainy Days – Luck Had Nothing To Do With It – Ranger Support – Parents and Children – Hero Without The Spandex – Emma's Night – Emma's Mother – Bait And Switch – After Death – A Stormy Day – A Date For Tensou – A Mother's Advice – Mending Fences – Executioner Named Revenge –Those Three Words – On The Fourth Day – Babysitting – Tiger- A Fresh Start – On the Mountains – Looking Ahead – The Rangers' Recovery – Daughter's Nightmare – Megaforce: With Great Power –Cookies – The Babysitters: Jake and Gia – Better Off With The Burrows**_ – _**A Hard Journey – The Messenger – Megaforce: The Invasion Arrives**_

Rebecca grumbled and groaned as she tried to find her way in the dark. She was always in the dark, but she knew it was night and that meant she was alone getting back to bed.

It had been several weeks now since she had been a prisoner of Vrak's and since he had cruelly taken her sight away. Gia had gotten her, Noah, and Ryan to safety and her friends had been looking after her since, supporting her decision to live the rest of her life blind. Though Tensou had offered her a solution that would return her eye sight, the procedure itself was tricky and dangerous. She would have to borrow Orion's Silver Ranger suit and Tensou would have to remove her eyes in an operation he had described as unavoidably painful and uncomfortable, and with no guarantee the procedure would work the first, second, or even third time around, Rebecca had decided against it. It was a decision she regretted at some times, like right now, but overall she was figuring out she didn't need her sight to enjoy life. All her other senses felt heightened and it was like stepping into an amazing new world. Rebecca could learn to be blind. She didn't want to risk a tricky operation.

She felt her way back from the bathroom. The floor was hard on her feet, something she had never noticed before she lost her sight. It was made of wood and while there were no splinters, it was still a rough and tough surface on her sore morning feet. The walls were just as rough, but Rebecca needed to touch them to find her way back. Inside her bedroom, they were her best guide.

She could hear some snoring. That, she didn't need to lose her eyesight to notice. In the weeks since she had lost her sight, Tiger had gotten bigger. Whenever Rebecca let her jump up on her lap she felt the tiger get a little bit heavier. And as the tiger grew, her snoring grew louder. Rebecca tried to use the sounds to avoid stepping on the cub but Tiger seemed to have spread herself out on the floor. Rebecca wasn't able to avoid accidently stepping on the cub's tail. It woke Tiger up with a roar and a jump.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!"

Unlike Rebecca, Tiger had excellent night vision. As she pulled her tail closer into her body to protect it she turned to Rebecca. She would have let out a loud growl but she knew it was only Rebecca. While she wasn't able to understand Rebecca couldn't see, she had learned that there was something different about this human from the others. She had already been helpful in guiding Rebecca from the bedrooms to the kitchen as well as steering Rebecca off a path if she was going to run into or step on something that would cause her pain. She knew Rebecca had only accidentally stepped on her tail and so let it go. She curled back up on the floor and went back to sleep.

Rebecca, meanwhile, still needed to find her bed. She knew she was close. Her bed was close to Gia and Emma's, and Tiger always slept as close as possible to Gia. She reached her hand out, felt the soft covers of a bed and started to crawl in. Just before she was under the blankets she felt someone stir beside her. Rebecca sighed.

"I missed?"

"Do you just want to sleep here?" Gia asked her. Rebecca shook her head.

"I'll get it right one day."

"Honestly, we don't mind. Right Em? See, she's asleep."

Rebecca sighed and decided to just give up for the night. She got under the blankets and nestled into the soft, warm mattress. She felt Gia put an arm around her. Rebecca didn't know why, but suddenly all she wanted to do was cry. She moved in closer to Gia who didn't hesitate to hold her.

"You're so brave," she whispered. Rebecca shook her head again.

"I'm too chicken for the operation," she said. "If I just get it over with, I can see again and..."

"Anyone can endure physical pain," Gia told her. "It takes real courage to take the hard road."

"What's the point of being blind, Gia?" Rebecca asked. "Why am I torturing myself? What do I have to gain?"

"I can always take you to Master Swoop," Gia said. "I'm sure Casey knows where we can find him."

"I don't want some stupid bat master to tell me I'm special. I don't feel special. I don't feel like I have anything to gain from this. I'm bumping into stuff, I'm stepping on Tiger's tail, I can't read Ryan her bedtime stories..."

"You've got them memorized."

"But I can't read new ones! And this morning when I tried to take her out of her crib, I poked her eye!"

"She knows you didn't mean it."

"But it's going to happen again!"

"It's called an accident. Everyone has accidents. Emma was riding her bike down the street once and I was playing with a tennis ball. It got away from me and rolled right under her wheel. She wiped out pretty hard and hated me for the rest of the day."

"So?"

"She got over it," Gia said. "Ryan will too. And the older she gets, the more she'll understand."

"I just... I wish this never happened."

"Some things you can't take back," Gia said and kissed Rebecca's forehead. "There's a lot in my life I wish never happened. A lot I want to be able to take back. I've learned I can't, and there's no point dwelling on it."

"Cliff?"

"Among other things," Gia nodded. She squeezed Rebecca softly. "What you've got to do is figure out how to go on from here. How to live with the past while taking your future in your hands. You'll find the good in this Rebecca. I promise."

"Do you think I'd be a coward if I changed my mind? This is frustrating, Gia. I... I don't think I like this. I want to be able to see again. I want... I want my life back."

"It takes time."

"It's been weeks!"

"Give it a little more," Gia said. "Your training is going well; you're getting the hang of looking after yourself."

"I can't even make it back to bed from the bathroom."

"Can I tell you a secret?"

"What?"

"Neither can I," Gia chuckled. She pulled down the blankets and lifted her leg. She put Rebecca's hand down on what felt like a long cut. "I stepped on Tiger's tail a couple nights ago. She wasn't too happy about it. The last night, Emma stubbed her toe on the doorframe as she tried to go into the bathroom."

"She did?"

"You were out like a log," Gia said. "You're going to get the hang of it. You just have to remember you screwed up even when you could see. But, if in a few days you still feel this way, we can talk to Tensou. We'll revisit the idea of removing your eyes."

Rebecca shuttered at the thought. She hated the idea of anything touching her eyes. Gia chuckled, kissed her forehead once more and then settled down to sleep. Rebecca sighed loudly, closed her eyes and tried to get a little more sleep.


	2. A New Mission

When Rebecca woke up that morning, she was feeling a little better. Usually when her blindness was causing her trouble was when she got the most worked up over it. This morning she walked to the kitchen with Gia and Emma, so she had no trouble finding her way. By the time the girls were in their seats, Troy had just finished making them all a plate of pancakes. He set them down right in front of Rebecca and she couldn't help but moan contently.

"They smell amazing!"

"I hope they're good," Troy said. He flicked his thumb over to the high chair. Ryan was eating her breakfast happily. "Ryan likes them, but she's not a great food critic. Last night I caught her munching on Tiger's ear."

"If they taste half as good as they smell, I already want seconds," Rebecca picked up her fork and knife and dug in. She cut up her first piece, shoved it in her mouth and moaned again. "Okay, these are officially the best pancakes I've ever eaten. They're so moist and fluffy and... Is that cinnamon?"

"Uh, just a touch," Troy nodded his head and then smiled. "I didn't think anyone would notice. The guys didn't."

"The guys are cavemen," Rebecca said through another mouthful. "This is awesome! You have to make breakfast more often."

"Thanks," Troy smiled. Gia and Emma just looked down at their plates. They couldn't taste the cinnamon.

"That's just not fair," Emma muttered. "I love cinnamon."

"Mmm, can someone pass me the fruits?" Rebecca held her hand out. "I want to create a pancake mountain!"

The girls and Troy watched Rebecca dump a handful of fruits onto her pancake, pour on more syrup and then take another big bite. She moaned happily again and again until her pancake was gone. Troy offered her seconds but she shook her head.

"That was too good," she said. "I'm stuffed."

"The others are outside for training," Troy told her. "We've cleared the deck for you so there should be nothing to walk into."

Rebecca thanked him and left her plate on the table to find her way out to the deck. Once she was outside, she could hear the boys practicing and claws scratching up the floor. They were coming closer and closer until suddenly Rebecca was left with no option but to step out of the way as Tiger flew past her. A faint bouncing sound could also be heard and Rebecca figured the cub was chasing a ball.

"Sorry! I didn't think you were coming out," Noah said as he walked over and gently took Rebecca's hand. "Tiger's just playing around."

"I heard her coming," Rebecca said and followed Noah to where the boys were waiting for her. She couldn't help but smile at his touch. While they had hit a rough spot in their relationship after their captivity, Rebecca had decided to forgive Noah. He had made a bad call that had led to Vrak taking away her eyesight. Noah had promised to try harder to put her safety above all else when they were in dangerous conditions and had also promised he would train harder so that he could protect her. Since then, his grip on her hands and arms had only gotten stronger, and when she touched him, she could feel his muscles getting bigger and bigger. He was working out. He was doing exactly as he said, and while Rebecca still wanted to stay with the rest of the Rangers just in case something were to happen she knew Noah had her best interest at heart. She was glad she had put her faith in him. Noah was never usually one to disappoint.

"You're getting a lot better at that," he told her and Rebecca could almost hear the smile in his voice. "Pretty soon, you might be able to tell who we are just by how we breathe."

"Or your heartbeats," Rebecca chuckled. "I slept with Gia last night and we kind of cuddled and where everyone else's hearts kind of sound like ba-bum, ba-bum, hers is kind of like... well, like a machine."

"She does have a robo-heart," Jake said. Rebecca nodded.

"I know that. It's just weird. It threw me off for a minute. I kind of thought I was cuddling Robo-Knight. Anyways, who am I training with today? Whose butt can I kick?"

"You're hardly going to kick my butt," Orion said. "Even with sight, you couldn't beat me."

"Oh yeah? Bring it, E.T."

"E.T?" Orion frowned but then quickly had to duck to avoid a punch to the head. Over by the kitchen cabin, while Emma had volunteered to do the dishes, Troy and Gia were watching training. Troy smiled proudly as his sister stood her ground against Orion, who was holding back somewhat. But then he turned to Gia and sighed.

"How is she?"

"Nights are hard," Gia answered. "You think they wouldn't be. No one sees where they're going at night."

"Nights are just like that," Troy said. "After our parents died, Ryan put up the most fuss in the middle of the night."

"Your mother used to get up with her."

"Still."

"I suggested we go to Master Swoop," Gia said. "Rebecca didn't want to, but I think it could help."

"Ocean Bluff? We can't leave the city."

"I can take her."

Troy laughed loudly and then shook his head. He turned to Gia. "You? Take my blind sister on a mission? Alone?"

"I'm getting offended," Gia crossed her arms.

"You know who you are," Troy said. "Vrak's out to get you. Cliff's out to get you. Vekar wouldn't hesitate to come after you. You are his wife's best friend after all. Perfect bait."

"I'll bring Tiger with me."

"Tiger? Your cub you don't ever want in battle? Why don't you just take Ryan too?"

"Well, I'm not letting you go," Gia shook her head. "You're still babying her. Master Swoop might try to push her and I don't want her giving up the moment things get rough. She's considering going through with the operation. I want her to make the right decision."

"And how is getting her sight back the wrong one?" Troy frowned. "If she wants to go through with Tensou's plan then we should all support her."

"I just don't want her to do it because she thinks she can't handle this," Gia turned to Troy and looked him right in the eye. "I don't want her to think she backed out of this because it was hard. We face insurmountable obstacles every day. And as much as we try to protect her, she's going to get into trouble. Vrak, Vekar, Cliff... we can't always be one step ahead of them."

"Which is why she should get her sight back..."

"It's why she's got to make an informed decision. Why I think it's important she knows she's stronger than even she thinks. She might choose to get the robot eyes and optical implant, but she'll choose it knowing it's what she wanted and not because she would have failed without us. I'll protect her while we're out there. I promise, nothing's going to happen to her."

Troy clenched his fists. He hated the idea of letting his sister out of his sight but if he had to trust her with anyone it would have to be Gia. However, he had one more chance to get Gia to reconsider this idea.

"That would mean you'd be leaving me in charge while you're gone," he said. "Look, Noah and I have talked, but we're not exactly..."

"Yeah, you're not on speaking terms," Gia nodded her head. "But things are fine between him and Rebecca and I know you're not going to do anything to take him away from her, are you?"

"I hate you."

"I have my morpher, Rebecca's got her communicator and Tensou made up a special collar for Tiger. You can track her. You know we're going to Ocean Bluff, we'll let you know when we find Casey and then let you know when we get to Master Swoop. We'll stay together. We can do this."

"You know you're nothing but trouble right?"

"Should have been my middle name," Gia smirked. "Come on, Troy. What do you say?"

"If you're not back by the end of the week, I'm going to assume you all died," Troy muttered. "And you'll be as good as dead if anything happens to my sister."

"I've got this."

"Call right away if there's trouble. And if Cliff shows up..."

"Troy, I'm not stupid. Not anymore. I call for help."

"If Rebecca does want to turn back, let her. Her tears are your milk. If I find out you pushed her too hard or that she did something she didn't want to do, I'll kill you myself."

"Yeah, yeah, I'm dead meat. Feed me to the dragon, whatever. Can I go talk this over with her now?"

"You better bring her back in one piece," Troy said while Gia went over to Rebecca. She pulled her aside from her training to talk to her. Troy shook his head loudly and sighed just as Emma walked out of the kitchen."

"I hate her."

"Who? Gia?"

"I hate her so much."

"She's a little rough around the edge," Emma chuckled. "Once you get to know her, I'm sure you'll like her."

"I hate her guts."

Emma just pat him on the back. Troy huffed loudly.


	3. No Regrets

"Are you sure you don't want someone else to come?" Jake asked as he sat on Gia's bed and watched her pack her bag. She had just told him and the other Rangers about hers and Rebecca's trip. After the younger girl had finally agreed to see Master Swoop to better practice living blind, Gia started to pack up. The trip would be at least a few days and they were going to need some supplies for the road and in case of emergencies.

"Can you pass me Tiger's formula?"

"Gia, this could be dangerous. What with Vrak and Cliff and..."

"Jake, I'll be fine," Gia looked to him with a smile. "You know where I'll be, when I'm supposed to be back, and I'm different now."

"It still makes me nervous," Jake said. He handed her the tin of formula for Tiger and then put his arms around her. "It's just... It's dangerous out there alone. Are you sure..."

"The more Rangers in the city, the better," Gia nodded. "Vrak and Vekar are bound to make another move while I'm gone and you guys are going to need all the help you can get."

"And you won't?"

"We'll be in Ocean Bluff by the end of the day," Gia stated. "I'll call you when we find the Jungle Fury Rangers. Hopefully we'll stay the night with them and we'll be off in the morning to find Master Swoop."

"And what if something happens? If Cliff finds out..."

"I love you," Gia pulled Jake in softly for a kiss and then smiled up at him. "I promise, promise, promise I'll be safe."

"You better," Jake muttered. Gia zipped up her bag and threw it over her shoulder. She gave her boyfriend another kiss before she walked out on the deck. She saw Troy and Noah were helping Rebecca put the last few things in her bag. They were only going to be gone a few days and they weren't going to need too much. Some money, a change of clothes, water and some cans of food in case. Gia had already packed up a little first aid kit. Noah and Troy didn't seem to want to take any chances, and were actually working together to make sure Rebecca's bag had everything she could possibly need or want in the next few days.

"You load her up anymore and she won't be able to walk," Gia stated. The boys both sighed.

"We just don't want anything to happen."

"I'm with Gia. I'll be fine," Rebecca said. She held her hand out for her bag. Troy gave it to her and she tipped over from the weight. "What the hell? Did you guys pack an elephant in here?"

Rebecca grabbed the bag with both hands and tried to lift it up. When she reached waist height she dropped it and shook her head. "Unpack all the stupid stuff."

"But what if..."

"I can smell soap from here. I showered this morning. Unless we walk through a swamp, I don't think I'm going to need much bathing."

The boys sighed and repacked the bag for Rebecca. As they did, Gia watched them.

"You two better behave while we're gone," she said. "At least talk to each other about what happened."

"We talked," Troy muttered. Noah looked a little nervous. Gia sighed.

"Shit happens, alright. Noah made a stupid decision, but he couldn't have known Vrak planned on torturing the sight out of Rebecca."

"Hey," Rebecca pouted and crossed her arms. "Although Gia is right. I liked hanging out with the two of you before this all happened. When you guys were friends."

"We are friends."

"Really? Because I can feel the tension in the room whenever you're both together. Troy, I've given Noah a second chance. Why can't you?"

"We'll talk," Noah promised her. "We'll really talk, I promise."

"Good," Rebecca held her hand out again, ready for her bag. She could hear the boys had zipped it up and so assumed they were ready to hand it over. Troy gave it to her and this time it was noticeably lighter. She smiled as she put it on and then kissed both boys on the cheek. "I'll be home before you know it."

"Please be safe," Noah told her. Rebecca nodded and gave him one last kiss while Troy grabbed Gia's arm.

"Be safe."

"Relax. I'd rather eat my own hand than let anything happen to her."

"I know," Troy said. "Don't let it get to that. Though if she is hurt and you're not missing a hand, I'm coming after you."

"She's in good hand," Gia smirked. Troy rolled his eyes and then let her go. Gia called Tiger and then the three of them were gone from the ship.

"So?" Orion asked from the table with a little grin, "Captain's gone for a couple of days. What do we do first?"

-Megaforce-

Rebecca held Gia's arm and made sure not to lose contact with the yellow Ranger as they travelled through the woods. It was a little hard to walk around on the uneven ground, but Gia was doing a great job letting Rebecca know where the hazards were.

"Root."

"Thanks," Rebecca said and then sighed. She turned to Gia, "So, you really want me to stay blind, don't you?"

"It's not that," Gia shook her head. "You haven't been blind for very long."

"A few weeks is a long time, Gia. I'm starting to forget what you look like, you know."

"In terms of adjusting, I mean," Gia said. She looked down at Rebecca. "You're doing a lot better than any of us expected. So you couldn't find your bed last night? Is it really a big deal? I don't want you to give up on something just because you don't think you can do it. You're a lot stronger than you let on and I want you to believe that."

"By staying blind?"

"Rebecca, if after this you want to go through with the operation, I'll be there to hold your hand the entire time," Gia touched Rebecca's hand and smiled. Though she knew Rebecca couldn't see it, she would hear it in her voice. "Ten years from now, I don't want you to think you gave up. I want you to know that you made the best decision for yourself and you're proud of what you accomplished when times were tough."

"Why?"

"I disappointed myself," Gia said. "I'm not an idiot. I never was. I knew Cliff was bad when we were together. I knew he wasn't treating me right but I was scared I wouldn't be able to stand up to him so I gave up on myself. I gave up on believing I was good enough, strong enough, and brave enough to stand without him. I let myself believe I needed him. If I had just pushed myself a little harder, maybe I'd have gotten away from him a little earlier. Maybe I would have asked for help or gotten him locked up sooner. I live with that regret every day."

"What's that got to do with being blind?"

"I don't want you to think you need anything to be happy," Gia said. "You don't need to be able to see or hear or live the way someone else thinks is best for you. I don't want you to get your sight back because you're giving up on who you are without it. I want you to know you can be you without it and then just take it back because you're just rather have it. I never chose to stay with Cliff. He made me think it was the right thing. If I could go back, I'd tell myself exactly what I'm telling you now. I don't need him or any boy to make me happy. I need the people I care about by my side, and I need to be strong enough to stand on my own even when they're gone."

"So, even if I do all the stuff Master Swoop wants me to do and I suddenly turn into some blind super human and I still want Tensou to give me my sight back, you'll be okay?"

"I want you to be happy. But I want you to know what does make you happy."

Rebecca smiled and stopped walking. Gia felt the tug on her arm and turned around. As soon as she did, Rebecca jumped into her arms and hugged her tight.

"You're the best, Gia."

"Yeah, yeah," Gia nodded. She squeezed Rebecca lovingly and then pushed her away. "I know."

"Seriously. People might think you're just a bitch with an attitude problem, but I know you're really awesome."

"I worked hard on that reputation," Gia muttered and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Just don't go spreading this stuff around."


	4. Ocean Bluff

If anyone loved the walk to Ocean Bluff, it was Tiger. Because they were walking through the forest to avoid being seen, Tiger was in her element. The growing cub would jump around, run ahead, roll in the dirt and chase after every small creature that crossed her path. She was having the time of her life. Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for Rebecca and Gia.

"Hold up," Gia muttered and let go of Rebecca's hand to go after her tiger who had spotted a baby deer and wanted to practice her hunting skills.

"Again?" Rebecca grumbled and waited patiently for Gia to come back. She heard Tiger's name being called out, a few roars, a cry from the deer, twigs snapping, something falling and then finally Gia panting. Rebecca chuckled when she felt Gia take her arm. "It's almost funnier when I can't see what happened."

"Trust me, you don't want to see it," Gia muttered. She turned to Tiger in her arms, "I brought your leash. Either behave yourself or I will walk you like an ordinary pet."

"What are you going to do when she's bigger than you are?" Rebecca asked while Gia set the growing cub on her feet.

"Pray?" Gia said just as the girls started to walk again. Tiger wanted to run off. She knew the baby deer was still close, but after being scolded by her master, she didn't want to risk getting into more trouble. She tried to stifle her curiosity but as they started to approach Ocean Bluff she couldn't ignore the sounds she was hearing. Between the traffic from all the cars, the people chatting, an airplane flying overhead and some birds chirping, Tiger couldn't help but run ahead to explore. As Gia bent over to pick her up again, Tiger took off.

"Dammit! Tiger!" Gia knew she had to run fast. The city wasn't very far away and if Tiger ran in she was sure to freak some people out. While she wasn't a full grown Tiger yet, she was getting bigger, and the fact that she was on the loose would cause people to worry they were in danger. A million ways this could go wrong flashed before Gia's eyes but she was determined to get to her cub before any of them could come true.

Unfortunately, Tiger did make it into the city. She darted out in the middle of the street which caused the drivers to slam on their breaks. One of the cars was rear-ended, but that was all the trouble Tiger caused on the road. She ran onto the sidewalk and bolted past people who either jumped out of the way of what they thought would be a fierce tiger, or watched her run by curiously. At one point, Tiger was distracted by a man walking his dog. The canine barked and lunged for the cat. Even Gia wasn't sure whether it was just a playful response from Tiger, self-defense, or a real instinct to fight, but when the dog tried to go for the throat, Tiger did the same.

The dog won out, being slightly bigger. He bit down on Tiger's neck and pinned her on her back. Tiger cried out and swiped at the dog with her claws, leaving a deep cut just before Gia broke in. The dog's owner wasn't holding his pet back, so Gia grabbed the dog's collar and ripped him away from her cub before she picked her up. The dog let out a cry and Tiger nestled in Gia's arms. The yellow Ranger ran back over to Rebecca and pulled her down the street. Some people were following, others were calling the police.

Gia turned down an alleyway and kept running. She had people hot on her trail, and with Tiger in one arm and her having to tow Rebecca with the other, she couldn't outrun them. Help only came when a car lost control just as Gia crossed the street. She and Rebecca cleared the road before they were hit, but everyone else had to stop. Gia took this as her chance to turn the corner to find a place to hide. She got lucky one more time when one of the back doors opened.

"Get in!" a man called her over and Gia didn't hesitate to get inside. He shut the door behind them and locked it. Gia dropped to the ground to start looking over her cub while Rebecca tried to figure out where she had ended up. She could hear some faint voices in the distance that almost sounded like casual conversation in a restaurant, and then couldn't miss the irresistible smell of pizza cooking in a wood burning oven. Her stomach rumbled. She realized only then she hadn't eaten for a few hours since she and Gia had left the ship.

"Pizza?"

"Jungle Karma," the man said. "The name's RJ."

"RJ?" Gia looked up. "The violet Wolf Ranger."

"The one and only," RJ smirked and nodded his head. "And you must be Gia. The tiger. I've been expecting you."

"You have?" Rebecca frowned. She and Gia had planned the trip to Ocean Bluff to find the Jungle Fury Rangers. They had already met Casey and Lily but didn't call them in advance to let them know they were on their way. For RJ to be expecting them was either really creepy or really cool. Rebecca wasn't sure how she felt about it yet.

"Well, only for the last minute or so," RJ said, "When I heard all the commotion happening on the street and Casey called to tell me he recognized you out there."

"Casey?" Gia frowned. Suddenly a man stumbled into the kitchen. He looked a little roughed up but still in pretty good shape. Gia immediately recognized him as Casey and noticed he was carrying a delivery bag. She cocked and eyebrow as she remembered the car that had lost control on the road was the delivery car for Jungle Karma Pizza. "You nearly ran us over."

"I timed it perfectly," Casey smirked. Gia shook her head.

"And what if no eyes and no brains had tripped?" she pointed to Rebecca and Tiger. Rebecca huffed and crossed her arms while Tiger tried to lick her own wounds.

"Let's just be grateful it all worked out," Casey said. "So what brings you all the way up here? Where's the rest of your team?"

"On a pirate ship," Rebecca answered. "No heart over there can tell you what happened. I'm going to call them to tell them we almost made it here safely."

Gia rolled her eyes as she looked to Casey and RJ, "We need your help to find one of the Pai Zhuq Masters."

"Well, you've found two of them," RJ gestured to himself and Casey. Gia shook her head.

"We need one specifically. Master Swoop."

"Master Swoop?" Casey frowned. "Why him?"

"Something's happened. He's probably the only person who can help."

"What happened?" RJ asked. Gia flicked her thumb over to Rebecca, who was digging through her bag for her phone.

"Vrak's kinda taken something important from her," she turned to Casey, who had already met Rebecca once before. "Notice anything different?"

"I... no, I can't say that I do."

"Let me show you," Gia said. "Hey, Rebecca!"

Rebecca turned and Gia, without saying a word, flashed the middle finger. Rebecca continued to look in Gia's direction, but never right at the yellow Ranger. Casey frowned deeply.

"She can't see it?"

"Can't see what?" Rebecca said. "What are you doing?"

Gia turned to Casey and RJ, "We read on our database that Master Swoop is also blind. Do you think he could help Rebecca?"

"I can give him a call," RJ said as he immediately walked to the phone. Casey looked down at Gia sadly.

"How did this happen?"

"It's a long story," Gia sighed. Casey nodded his head and then noticed a nervous tiger walking up to Gia. He had spotted the tiger on the street but didn't make much of it when he recognized Gia and Rebecca were in trouble. He pointed to the cub, "Who's this?"

"Another long story," Gia picked the cub up and glared at her, "Do you have any idea how terrified I was? Or how lucky we got? What the hell were you thinking, taking off like that! You could have gotten yourself killed!"

Rebecca found her way over to Casey when she finished her phone call and shook her head as she chuckled.

"Tiger is to Gia as Gia is to everyone else," she said. "It's actually pretty funny."

"Why don't you guys head upstairs to freshen up?" Casey suggested. Rebecca glared at him.

"Where is upstairs?"

"If you take the stairs... oh, right," Casey remembered what Gia had revealed to him and realized that though the stairs were quite obvious to see from anywhere in the kitchen, Rebecca had no idea where to begin looking. "I'll take you up. Master Swoop might not be able to get here until tomorrow morning anyways. I can help you two get settled in. Maybe while we do that, you can explain to us how all of this came to be."


	5. Rebecca's New Master

Casey led the girls upstairs to RJ's loft and showed them where they could spend the night. They were going to share the bedroom he had taken during his time as a Ranger. It had a bathroom connected so they would have all the privacy they needed for the night. He gave them some space to settle in while he promised to work on making them a pizza for dinner. Rebecca was excited. Gia couldn't even begin to think about eating. After setting her bag down on the floor she turned to Tiger.

"How many times am I going to have to tell you," she growled. Tiger took a few nervous steps back, "Never run off on me like that! You're a wild animal. If people see you running around, they'll think you're dangerous! They'll call animal control, they'll tranquilize you and they'll take you away, if they don't kill you! Is that what you want?"

Tiger lowered her head. She hated when Gia scolded her. Gia scooped the growing cub up and sighed.

"I know you love the open space. I know you're feeling cooped up on the ship and you just want to run. I promise, I'll figure something out. In the meantime, you have to stay close to me, got it?"

Tiger nestled into Gia's chest. She kissed the top of the cub's head and then set her down on the bed. She heard Rebecca chuckling from the corner of the room and rolled her eyes. "What?"

"It's just funny how karma works. After all those gray hairs you've given us, finally, there's someone who can return the favour."

"Shut up," Gia muttered. Rebecca stuck her tongue out and then was about to say something but an amazing smell hit her nose. She followed it carefully to the door of the bedroom and then opened it. She was struck with the most delicious aroma she had smelt in a long time.

"Pizza!"

"Enough for everyone," Casey announced as he set the pizza down on the counter. Rebecca stumbled over and held out her hands as Casey gave her a warm plate. She didn't need to find a chair, she ate it as soon as she got it. Gia walked out of the bedroom as well right as her stomach grumbled. They were well fed on the ship and often could eat as much as they wanted, the problem was that none of them were great cooks; most of the time they were stuck eating whatever they could dig up from the bottom of the freezer. To have a real cook bake them a fresh, homemade pizza was a real luxury. Casey gave Gia her plate and she knew this would be the best thing she would eat. She sat down on a stool and took her first bite.

Then RJ walked up into the loft with a bowl in his hands. Tiger could smell something delicious from the bedroom and darted out as fast as she could right up to RJ's feet. He barely had time to put the bowl down before she started digging into it, tearing through the meat like she hadn't been fed in months.

"Well, looks like even the animal kingdom enjoys my cooking," RJ smiled. "Though I've got to say, even for me, a tiger is a strange pet."

"She's not a tiger," Rebecca said through a mouthful of pizza. "She's Gia's animal spirit."

"Animal spirit?" RJ asked. "Well, it is possible to have your animal as a pet, but the mastery required to do so goes beyond anything anyone's ever achieved before."

"Or the animal dies," Gia said. She looked to RJ and Casey sadly. "Tiger, the spirit, sacrificed herself to help get Troy, Emma, Jake and myself off the Armada mothership. Emma's Huang was impressed by the sacrifice and gave Tiger and me another shot."

"The Huang?"

"Remember, RJ?" Casey sighed. "I told you one of the Megaforce had the lost Spirit of the Huang."

"I know. I'm still impressed," RJ said. "Well, however Tiger got here, she's more than welcome to stay. I would keep her off the streets. She has made headlines already."

"She's going to stay out of trouble. Right, Tiger?" Gia glared down at the cub. Tiger ignored her mistress and continued to chew up the meat RJ had treated her to. Gia turned back to the Jungle Fury Rangers, "So, about Master Swoop..."

"He's coming," RJ said. "He's eager to meet the planet's newest defenders."

"Does he know he's helping me?" Rebecca asked.

"I've told him about your situation," RJ nodded. "He's always happy to help anyone looking for guidance. Of course, you're going to have to do everything he asks for this training to be successful."

"I'm ready," Rebecca said.

-Megaforce-

After getting a warm meal in her stomach and a little extra training with RJ, Rebecca was ready for bed. She was both excited and nervous for her training with Master Swoop, which she had been told would start early in the morning. She knew she would need a lot of rest. She didn't want to be dozing off halfway through what was easily the most important lesson of her life.

She found her way to bed quite easily once she was in her room. She would have to share a bed with Gia, but didn't mind because they were somewhere new. She was still struggling with finding her way around her room on the ship. She was sure to bump into a few things here. Gia was already under the blankets and had her head on the pillow. Tiger was stretched out on the floor. Rebecca closed her eyes and lay down.

"The light," Gia told her. Rebecca frowned.

"Why didn't you turn it off?" she asked. "It's not like I need it."

"It's on your side."

"You should have said something then," Rebecca reached out and eventually found the lamp. She turned it off and then settled into bed. She wasn't sure how long she slept for before someone woke her up. She grumbled, rubbed her eyes and then rolled over to a putrid smell. It nearly made her gag.

"Gia, if that's your morning breath, I don't ever want to..." Rebecca reached out and found herself touching fur. She groaned, "Tiger? Whoa, mommy needs to brush your teeth. Even for a cat, you're stinky."

She climbed out of bed and followed Tiger's footsteps out of the bedroom. She could smell the remains of the bacon, toast, and eggs that had been cooked for breakfast but felt there was something off about the loft space. It was quiet even for the early morning.

"Gia?"

"Right here, Becca," Gia called out. Rebecca felt a little relieved. Though she trusted RJ and Casey because they were both Rangers she felt safest knowing Gia was around to help her. "You also have a guest."

"I do?" Rebecca frowned and then remembered why she had come to see the Jungle Fury Rangers. She heard someone walking up to her just before he touched her arm to greet her.

"Rebecca, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Um... same to you... uh..."

"Master Swoop."

"Swoop?" Rebecca perked up slightly. "You mean you came here?"

"I've heard all about what happened," Master Swoop answered her. "I offer my deepest condolences. The loss of any sense is difficult to overcome. However, we no longer have any time to mourn. RJ said you came for training?"

"It was Gia's idea," Rebecca said and pointed in the direction of Gia's voice. It was a gesture she quickly realised what futile. She had sought out Master Swoops help because, like her, he was blind. He couldn't see where she was pointing. She lowered her hand and gulped, "Um, I kind of just want to know what I can do."

"Why don't we find out?" Master Swoop offered and then Rebecca heard him move around. All of a sudden, his voice came from closer to the ground. "Come, sit next to me. We will start with meditation. The more in tune you are with yourself, the more you will find you are able to do. RJ, put the cookie down, the sun's barely up."

Rebecca turned her head to Master Swoop while she heard RJ mutter. She hadn't heard the wolf Ranger make a single sound. How was it possible for Master Swoop to know what was going on? Swoop turned to her with a chuckle.

"Your confusion is understandable. In time, you will understand that there is more to life than what can be seen."


	6. Deep Focus

"I don't get it," Rebecca said. "My whole life's an obstacle course. How am I supposed to learn anything from this?"

"Master Swoop has a unique teaching style," RJ told her. "Just trust that he's got something in mind."

"Something tells me he's bullshitting. Are we ready yet?"

"We're ready," Master Swoop walked up behind her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Before you is a maze. Reach the end of the maze and you will have passed my test."

"Test? I didn't study," Rebecca frowned. Master Swoop chuckled.

"The test is simple. Using whatever is available to you in this room, you must find your way through the maze to the end."

"There's no time limit, is there?"

"Only the time limit imposed by your enemies," Master Swoop said. "Just concentrate on making it to the end. There's no sense rushing through. In fact, it might be costly if you do."

"What do you mean?"

"Go," Swoop told her. Rebecca turned around and reached out for him, hoping to get a little more advice but he was gone. She muttered as she turned back to face the obstacle course before her. It was just a maze, but she didn't know what was on the ground for her to trip on, where any walls or barriers were or if someone or something was going to jump out at her. She gulped, took in a deep breath and stepped forward. Her foot instantly fell on what felt like a skateboard. It rolled out from under her, she lost her balance and hit the ground. She let out a cry but she heard another one in the distance. A familiar one.

"Gia?"

"Mother..." Gia grumbled and Rebecca knew it was genuine. Something had hurt her. Assuming it was just the skateboard that had flown out and hit her, Rebecca apologized.

"Sorry. My bad."

Rebecca made sure there was nothing else in her way before she took another step. With a little more confidence, she started to walk. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, a ball smacked her in the side. Rebecca fell over and hit the ground again. She grumbled but she heard another cry. Again, it was Gia and it sounded very real. Rebecca started to worry. Once was an accident. Twice had to mean something. She got to her feet quickly and started to walk again, but quickly found herself tripping right into an arm chair. This didn't hurt as much because the chair had cushions for her to land on, but Gia let out another cry, this one more painful than the last.

Three times was intentional. Worried Rebecca had put her trust in the wrong master she wanted to quickly end the maze. Without fear of what would happen to her, she tried to race through. She bumped into more furniture, slipped on some stuff they left laying on the floor, and even walked into a wall, but she eventually made it to the end. Her eyes were filled with tears, for every bump, slip, and fall she had, she heard Gia cry out in more and more pain. When she was done, she found Gia and wrapped her arms around her.

"What are they doing? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Gia said but her breathing was heavy. Rebecca turned around to face Swoop as he walked up to her. She growled.

"I don't like this! You can't hurt my friends! You're supposed to be training me!"

"I did nothing," Master Swoop told her. "You were the one causing Gia pain."

"What? How?"

"Make your way through the maze, Rebecca."

"I did! I made it! I'm bruised and frustrated, but I..."

"You didn't make it," Swoop told her. "You hit every obstacle. You failed every challenge I put before you."

"I..."

"You spend too much time focusing on what's right in front of you."

"What's right in front of me was a skateboard, a basket ball, shoes, a wet floor, an old pizza box and..."

"And if this were real life, you or your friends could have been seriously hurt," Master Swoop told her. "What if, instead of a basketball, a car hit you? What if you do step on a wet floor, or someone leaves something lying around on the floor. You trip, slip, hurt yourself, or worse."

"How do I know what's lying on the floor! I can't see!" Rebecca said. "And what's that got to do with hurting Gia? Leave her out..."

"You will walk through my maze and every time you fail a challenge, you and your friend will suffer," Master Swoop told her. "Go back to the start. I will reset everything and then you will try again."

"Gia..."

"Just concentrate, Rebecca," Gia told her. "I'll be fine. Cliff's done worse."

Rebecca's stomach turned but with Gia's reassurance and her own determination to get the maze right, she started it again. Once she got permission to start from Master Swoop she walked through the maze. This time was different from the last. Some obstacles were in different places and others had been swapped out. Rebecca avoided the skateboard this time, but when she side stepped it, she planted her foot down on a squeaky toy that startled her. She stumbled backwards and ended up stepping on the skateboard anyways and wiping out. Gia let out another painful cry, and more ever time Rebecca failed.

When she finally reached the end, Rebecca found Gia. The yellow Ranger was breathing heavily and could barely mutter out her reassurance to Rebecca that she was okay. Rebecca turned to Swoop to glare but he simply directed her back to the start. Rebecca tried the maze a third time and halfway through found herself completely frustrated when she heard Gia cry out milk. She called out for Swoop to stop his training but he refused.

"It's up to you to help your friend," he told her. Rebecca clenched her fists.

"Your stupid maze is impossible! I can't see stuff lying around. I can't avoid furniture if I don't know where it is! How is this supposed to do anything but hurt Gia and completely crush my confidence?"

"You're not focused," Master Swoop told her. Rebecca could hear his voice at the end of the maze and then heard him coming closer. Either he had failed to set up obstacles in the second half or he was avoiding them all. Rebecca didn't find it fair. He had set up the maze, after all. He knew where everything was. But then she heard and felt the basketball soar past her. It missed her but never bounced on the ground. In fact, if Rebecca was hearing correctly, Master Swoop had caught it.

Then, he placed the ball in her hands. "There is one way through this maze. You must concentrate to be able to see..."

"See? See what?" Rebecca cried out. "I'm fucking blind and you're using that to torture my best friend! I want to stop this training. I want some other master or whatever to help me. You're useless!"

"Rebecca, do you want to know what I see when I look around?"

"Probably everything," Rebecca muttered. "You're probably not even blind. You just like screwing around with people."

"I see, just ahead of you, RJ's place a table. You must climb over it, not under. If you go under, Casey will throw the basket ball again and it will hit out. Once you pass the table you must walk to the left. Avoid the right. Casey's dumped his dirty laundry. Avoid it, and you'll avoid stepping on the lego blocks that are scattered right behind them. After three steps, duck, count to five, and then it will be safe to pass. You must get to your feet quickly and race to the end before my bat spirit flies into you. He will push you over. Once you cross the finish line, you will be done. Do this, and your friend won't get hurt."

"You're cheating," Rebecca growled. "You set up the obstacle course. You know..."

"Actually, I set it up," RJ said. "I've set every one up. Master Swoop has no idea what's right in front of him."

"Well, that's not true," Swoop said, "But RJ is correct. I did not have a hand with the maze. I have asked RJ to place the obstacles of his choosing wherever he saw fit."

"So then how do you know what's coming up?" Rebecca asked. "Or rather, how did you know to avoid them coming here?"

"I have an advantage most people cannot understand," Master Swoop told her. "Complete this maze, as I instructed, and I will share what I know."

Rebecca nodded her head, took a deep breath and then tried to remember what Swoop told her. She reached her hand out, felt the table and climbed up on it. As she crawled across, she heard the ball and felt the ball bounce underneath, but it didn't hit her. When she reached the end of the table she almost fell off, but she kept her balance, and carefully placed her feet on the ground. Then she stepped to the left. She wasn't sure how far to go so she kept one hand on the end of the table and walked to the very left side. Then she walked straight. She sniffed the air and could smell herself walking past Casey's dirty laundry. She plugged her nose, just to point out to the red Ranger than he needed to wash it more. After three steps she remembered to duck. Something flew right over her head and she counted to five, jumped back up to her feet and then ran as straight as she could, as fast as she could. She knew she crossed the finish line when she almost ran into a wall. She was stopped only because she held her hands out in front of her. Then she turned to Gia, found the yellow Ranger and hugged her tight.

"Everything's fine," she promised. "Whatever they're doing, they can stop. I did it!"

"You did well, young dolphin," Master Swoop announced to her as he walked over. Rebecca turned to him.

"So how did you do it?" she asked. "I had your guidance but you just breezed through it, didn't you?"

"You and I aren't so different," Master Swoop said. "In fact, do you know what the bat and the dolphin, our animal spirits, have in common?"

"Uh..." Rebecca frowned and shrugged her shoulders, "They're undercover mammals?"

Swoop chuckled. He gave her a pat on shoulder, "Echolocation."

"Gia?"

"When people or animals emit a sound and then listen for how long it takes the echo to come back to them," Gia explained to Rebecca. "They use that to navigate their environment. Bats do it in the air at night to fly safely, dolphins use it to navigate the waters."

Gia turned to master Swoop, "Are you trying to say you do it too?"

"As a young boy, I trained many years with my bat spirit to better understand what was going on around me," Master Swoop said. "I have learned to use all my senses and trust that my bat will keep me out of harm's way. Over time, it's become second nature to me."

"But that's taken time," Rebecca said. "I'm barely a dolphin master. I mean, I've summoned her a few times. We've played in the water together, but... no offence, Master Swoop, I kind of want an instant solution. Something that'll get me by, starting now."

"Use your spirit," Master Swoop said. "Trust she will not let you walk into trouble and she will be your guide. Try the maze one last time."

"I can't," Rebecca shook her head. "When Gia calls milk we have to..."

"I trust you," Gia took Rebecca's hand and squeezed it. "Just do your best."

Rebecca felt very nervous about this. Gia had already called milk and the rule was that when Gia wanted milk, whatever it was that was causing her pain or anxiety had to stop. The rule had been made because of Gia's trust issues. Breaking the rule meant betraying Gia's trust. Rebecca doubted the Jungle Rangers and Master Swoop would go so far as to causing Gia real, long term harm but she hated the idea of losing her best friend's trust.

But Rebecca had to complete this test. She had come out all this way and Gia had walked with her all the way to Ocean Bluff. To turn her back on it now would mean failing herself and letting her team and her friends down. So with a big breath she walked to the front of the maze and closed her eyes. It didn't change what she saw, but just the act helped her to focus better. Rebecca had been in touch with her dolphin spirit before, but for the first time she was asking her for her help. It took a little while, but eventually the dolphin responded. Rebecca took her first step forward and as soon as she placed her foot on the ground, she could hear the sound it made.

The waves came back to her. At first it was all a little blurry, but when Rebecca concentrated she could make out what was in front of her. The echo from her footstep helped her create an image in her mind of her environment. She saw the outline of the chair and stepped around it.

Every step produced a sound, and ever sound came back as an echo that helped her identify her surroundings. Rebecca knew she wasn't actually seeing anything, but the sound waves produced an image in her mind that seemed to fit exactly with how the maze was laid out. Rebecca walked through it, making sure to trust her senses and her dolphin spirit. She crossed the finish line without any trips, bumps, falls and without getting hit by any basketballs. She ran over to Gia and was able to see the yellow hold out her arms. Happily, Rebecca jumped in for a hug and squeezed her tight.

"It's amazing! I can do it! It's like I can see again!"

"I knew you could do it," Gia smiled. She set Rebecca back down on her feet as master Swoop came over. Rebecca turned around to face him. She could see his outline, but it was all still too blurry. She looked up at him happily.

"I did it!"

"You did. And you were excellent," Master Swoop nodded. "You are a fine young cub."

"Actually, dolphin babies are called calves," Rebecca smirked. "But thanks."

"You learn very quickly," Master Swoop said. "Smart, intuitive, and strong, just like the dolphin. It is no wonder your bond is so tight."

"I love dolphins, Master Swoop," Rebecca said. "I guess that helps too, right? I mean, it helped with Gia. Jordan's still a little slow because he's not the turtle's biggest fan..."

"Energetic as well, I see," Master Swoop chuckled when Rebecca wouldn't stop talking. Gia nodded her head.

"You have no idea."

Swoop smiled. He placed his hands on Rebecca's shoulders, "Young calf, you have done well today, but your learning has only just begun. As your bond strengthens with your spirit, so too will your abilities. The more you practice, the easier it will be to clear your mind and focus on your surroundings. In time, the way you experience life will feel completely normal. Once you accept your fate, you will find happiness."

Rebecca nodded and then threw her arms around Master Swoop, "Thanks. Thank you so much!"

"Anytime," Master Swoop said. Rebecca turned around to smile at Gia once more, then when she looked back at Master Swoop, he was gone. She frowned deeply. RJ chuckled.

"Well, he always did like to keep a little mystery about him. I take it you'll be heading out soon?"

"I wish we could stay longer," Gia sighed, "But with all the trouble the Armada and Vrak like to cause, it's really best if we don't stay away from the rest of the team for too long."

"I understand," RJ nodded. It was then Casey offered the two girls their bags. Gia grabbed hers and felt it was heavier than when she brought it in.

"I hope you don't mind, I packed a few extra treats for Tiger," Casey said with a little smirk. He looked down at the cub by Gia's feet. "I couldn't let her leave without a little something special."

"Thanks. I'm sure she'll love you for it," Gia said. She glanced at her tiger, "Did you say thank you?"

Tiger walked up to Casey and rubbed herself up against his leg. Casey picked her up for a little cuddle while Rebecca checked through her bag. She noticed there were two little slips of paper that weren't there before. She pulled them out and held them up. She could faintly see the outline of the papers, but she couldn't read. Gia took them from her and then turned to RJ.

"Jungle Karma Coupons?"

"What? I like the business," RJ shrugged his shoulders. "Come back anytime. You'll get free drinks with any large pizza you order."

"No free pizza?" Rebecca pouted. RJ shook his head.

"Hey, a man's got to earn a living. This loft isn't cheap."

"We'll try to come back after the war," Gia promised. She helped Rebecca pack up her bag, thanked RJ once again for his hospitality and then walked back to the kitchen. Casey suggested they leave through the back door. The city was still a little riled up after the loose tiger spotting the day before. Rebecca seemed eager to leave, but Gia had one last question for her fellow tiger spirit.

"So, I noticed it was just us that stayed the night. I thought last time we met you said Lily was staying here with Ava."

Casey smirked, "Yeah... about that..."

"Is everything okay?"

"The dating thing is a little... complicated," Casey said. "But Lily has given me another shot. She and Ava moved back into my apartment. With her helping me out with rent and groceries, I've been able to cut back my hours a bit at the zoo and at the Pai Zhuq. As long as I promise not to work overtime after every shift, and to keep my work at work, things should go well."

"I'm very happy to hear that," Gia smiled. "I'm sure Ava's glad to have both her parents under one roof."

"She's over the moon," Casey nodded. "She'll be pretty bummed out tonight, though."

"Why?"

"She's obsessed with you, now," he chuckled. "Ever since she met you, you're her favourite new Ranger."

"Kids..." Gia muttered. "I can't get them not to like me. You can let her know I missed her."

"Will do," Casey nodded. He then turned his attention to Rebecca, "Stay safe, alright. No more risky missions with your friends. We don't know any other Pai Zhuq masters who have lost one of their senses, so you'd be on your own."

"I'll be careful," Rebecca promised. "Come on, Gia, let's go home! I want to show Troy, Noah and the others what I learned!"


	7. Rebecca's Fate

Rebecca knew she was almost back to where she could be picked up by the Sky Ship. She and Gia had been walking for hours after leaving Jungle Karma Pizza so they were bound to be close. Rebecca was growing excited to show off her newfound ability. Gia was also excited, but there was something else on her mind. She gently nudged Rebecca and asked her, "Have you thought about what you wanted to do?"

Rebecca shrugged her shoulders, "I'm pretty tempted to get my eyes back," she said. "But... I kind of want to see how far I can take this echolocation thing. It's pretty cool. I mean, I can pretty much still see the important stuff."

"No smiles or rainbows, though."

"I can kind of hear smiles," Rebecca smirked. "Your tone kind of changes when you're smiling."

"Mine?"

"Everyone's," Rebecca nodded. "When I hear it, I can just imagine how happy you must be and it's kind of... special. And I've already seen a lot of rainbows and flowers and all the pretty stuff. Now what's really special to me is seeing things for what they really are, and not just what they look like."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not really distracted by what I see. I mean, foods taste better. RJ's pizzas were delicious."

"I thought so too."

"But I'm tasting things I've never noticed before on pizza and on other foods. Different herbs, I guess, or the way the flavours mix together. Before when I ate, I kind of just figured it if looked good, it tasted good and then I devoured it. Now if I want to know if something's good, or even what it is, I've got to actually taste it. And smells... well, the ship isn't exactly a rose garden, but after you guys do shower, you all have special smells. Troy always kind of smells like vanilla because of his soap and Noah's cinnamon. Jake... well, he kind of always smells a little sweaty."

"Yeah, I think that's permanent," Gia sighed.

"Orion kind of smells like coal. I guess that's permanent too. But it's like barbecue coal. Like good smelling, nice summer evening kind of stink. It's pretty cool, and kind of unique."

"So is Orion."

"Emma smells like coconut, so whenever she walks by I kind of feel like I'm on vacation. And you're strawberries. I just think it's kind of cool how you all have your scents. And then there's the sound of your voices, the touch of your skin..."

"Our skin?"

"Yeah," Rebecca chuckled. "The guys always have kind of rough, hard hands. Orion especially. And when they grab me or something, it's always kind of..."

"Strong?"

"Yeah. Then you and Emma always have soft hands, gentle touches. It's kind of cool too. And don't even get me started on how amazing hugs feel. It's kind of like a combination of all of those. Your cool smells, a soft or strong hold, depending, I can feel your hearts beating sometimes. It's just so much more awesome."

"So, do you want the procedure?"

"I... I don't know," Rebecca shrugged. "I mean, now that I kind of know this trick, I want to practice it. And I want to experience life this way. I trust Tensou and his work. If he can replace your human heart with a robotic one and make it work flawlessly, I'm sure fixing my eyes will be a cinch, but what if it doesn't work or malfunctions or Vrak tries this again?"

"Rebecca, whatever you want to do, I support you," Gia gently took the younger girl's hand. "You know I only brought you out here to show you how much you could still accomplish."

"What about the others? Troy was pretty pissed that I was blind. He and Noah are still only on conditional speaking terms over it."

"Not because you're blind," Gia told her. "Because of what Noah let happen to you."

"I guess," Rebecca lowered her head. "It's just... if I get my eyes back..."

"Is that what you want?"

"I want echolocation," Rebecca said. "I want to be like Master Swoop. I don't want something like blindness or even the dark to be able to stop me from living life. Besides, how awesome do you think it'll be when Vrak sees his torture only made me stronger? I'd like my sight back only to see the look on his face when I'm still kicking butt and taking names."

"Kicking butt?"

"You know, non-Ranger style," Rebecca laughed.

"Troy and Noah will come around. They both just want to see you safe and happy. As long as you make the decision that's right for you, I'm sure they'll get over this. After all, Noah is training a lot harder. He's already reaching Jake in terms of muscle."

"I know," Rebecca smiled and blushed. "He's got a lot more muscle now. It's pretty sexy."

"You think everything's sexy."

"Not everything," Rebecca shook her head. "I just... I mean... oh, come on, doesn't Jake turn you on?"

"Well yeah, sometimes."

"Sometimes?"

"I have issues."

"Right," Rebecca nodded. "Well, if finding my boyfriend sexy in everything he does is wrong, I don't want to be right."

"And so what does this mean about the whole blindness thing?" Gia asked. "What do you want to do?"

"I... I want to give this another go," Rebecca said. "I want to see exactly what I can do. I mean, Tensou's always going to know how to fix my eyes. I want to see how far this takes me."

"So, you don't want the operation?"

Rebecca shook her head. "Not yet, at least. Is that... I mean, can I do that?"

"You can do anything," Gia said with a smile and then kissed the side of Rebecca's head. "You're really brave, Becca. I'm proud of you."


End file.
